November/December 2011

"There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them."

Vicki Baum

Greetings from Waltz Time! This newsletter offers a calendar of upcoming waltz dances and workshops, dance community news and informative articles.

Our newsletter is sent every two months and offers a calendar of waltz dances and workshops, dance community news and informative articles. We encourage your articles for our newsletter. Or tell us what would you like to know! Please send your story or suggestions for topics to staff@waltztimedances.org.

Waltz Time is an all-volunteer committee that produces the twice-monthly Sunday afternoon waltz dances and the Annual Strauss Ball at Glen Echo Park's Spanish Ballroom. View the entire year's calendar at our web site.

We hope you enjoy our newsletter. At the end of this page, there are additional links that you can use to forward this newsletter to a friend or to unsubscribe.

From all of us at Waltz Time

Winter's Eve at Glen Echo Park

Winter's Eve at Glen Echo Park will be held on Saturday, December 10, starting at 6 pm. This is a free event that fits dancers' schedules quite nicely. Come by before the swing dance that night and enjoy free refreshments, browse the holiday art sale in the Popcorn Gallery, visit art studios, and try your hand at glass blowing!

The evening includes free craft activities for the family, choral performances and sing-along, hot cocoa bar and fresh popcorn, and a special opportunity to make a blown glass ornament for teens and adults, age 16 and older. Family craft activites end at 9 pm, but some activities will remain open until 10 pm and later.

Visit the Popcorn Gallery - first floor of the Arcade - where you may browse and/or purchase artwork. The beautiful handmade jewelry, pottery, glasswork, paintings, and wooden artifacts all make unique holiday gifts. Take this opportunity to tour the studios of our Resident Artists and learn about their visual arts programs, upcoming classes and artwork for sale. The entire event, except for the glass ornament making, is free and open to everyone.

Make your own blown glass ornament: This year individuals, or couples will once again have a special opportunity to learn, firsthand, the fundamentals of glassblowing by creating your own glass ornament (see the photo, top left above). You need to sign up on December 10 as soon as you arrive (the earlier the better so you can get on the list). The sessions run from 8 - 10 pm or so, and you will make an ornament under the supervision of Paul Swartwood of the Glassworks Studio. You can also just observe the glass blowing demonstrations from 6:30 - 8 pm - all held in the Caretaker's Cottage down the path from the Ballroom. For more details, check glenechopark.org. The entire evening promises to be fun and enlightening, and you might just find the perfect holiday gift for someone special.

The Viennese Christmas Ball

Friday, December 2, 7 pm, $95
Washington Golf and Country Club, Arlington, VA

On Friday, December 2 celebrate the season with friends at a grand Viennese Christmas Ball hosted at the elegant Washington Golf and Country Club, known as the Club of the Presidents. This year's Ball will delight with more of your favorite waltzes by Lehar, Waldteufel, Tchaikovsky and Strauss, along with Con Brio's festive holiday melodies. Join us for an evening of Viennese waltz, polka, quadrilles and ballroom music from around the world. Champagne reception and Austrian desserts buffet, selected wines and coffee. A Cotillion of young dancers from the United States Naval Academy is forming now to perform the Fledermaus Quadrilles as part of the Opening Ceremonies.

Invitations for the Ball are forthcoming. However, reservations do come in early and the Ball is always fully subscribed. To request an invitation or for more information please contact: Mrs. Robert Bocek mbocek@verizon.net or call 540-882-4808.

Waltz Week in Vienna, Austria

February 6 - 11, 2012

Enjoy workshops, dances, tours, food, wine and song, and, of course, waltzing during Vienna's famous Ball Season at the fabulous Hofburg Palace! For details, go to Waltz Week in Vienna.

Registration is Now Open: If you love to dance, if you love the old-world charm of Europe, and if would like to see what a truly elegant ball is like in the city where it all began, then join dancers from across the country this February 6 - 11, 2012 for Waltz Week in Vienna. It's an amazing experience, with a week of classes and workshops culminating in a grand ball at Vienna's Imperial Palace, plus city tours, socials, and more. Registration is now open and details are on our website at Waltz Week in Vienna. You can also "like" us on Facebook at "Waltz Week in Vienna." We'd love to see you there!

Volunteer with Waltz Time!

Give us 45 minutes of your time and you can dance for free! Waltz Time is seeking volunteers for each Sunday waltz. There are several slots available, including attaching wristbands and sweeping after the dance. We also need someone to monitor the area by the cafe stairs; with increased traffic in the park during the summer months, visitors often wander in and don't realize they're in a "restricted" area. To volunteer, simply sign up before the waltz on the appointed day. There will be a sign-up sheet at the table. We appreciate your help!